Brake-housing cleaner



Dec. 14, 1965 H. M. ALLENBAUGH 3,222,707

BRAKE-HOUSING CLEANER Filed March 5, 1964 TT; g

Z3 Z4 Z1 39 1 1 2.5 27 1 I 26 ill I J8 9 45 w x Z2 INVENTOR. #01444 MAME/V54 6/1 44 43 e0 U United States Patent ()fiice 3,222,707 BRAKE-HOUSING CLEANER Howard M. Allenbaugh, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor f forty-nine percent to Donald L. Felton, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Mar. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 349,563 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-345) This invention relates to a device for cleaning brake housings to remove particles of brake lining, dust, grit and other drum-scoring particles from such a housing.

An object of the invention is to provide an easily portable device of the character referred to that is adapted for easy and convenient application to the open face of a brake housing to, thereby, greatly facilitate cleaning of the housing of the four wheels of an automotive vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable brake-housing cleaner that, from a single source of compressed air provides both a particle-dislodging air stream and a suctioninducing air stream that produces a vacuum for effecting collection of such dislodged particles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device of the character above referred to which the particle-dislodging air stream is a constantly moving one, thereby enabling direct impingement of a sharp and forceful jet of air against different portions of the housing for most etfective particle dislodgment.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a brake-housing cleaner according to the present invention and shown in operative position closing the open side or face of a brake housing.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary face view showing the particle-dislodging mechanism of the cleaner.

The brake-housing cleaner that is illustrated comprises -a hood 5 that is adapted to be applied to the open side of a brake housing 6, an air gun 7 attached to the rear of said hood and serving as a handle by means of which the hood may be applied and held in operative position relative to a housing 6, means 8 disposed within the hood and connected to the air gun and operated by air from said gun to produce a constantly moving epicycloidal jet of air directed into the interior of the drum housing for dislodging particles from the interior of said housing, means 9 producing an auxiliary air flow, and a removable particle-collector 10 subject to air flow from the means 9 to create suction to establish a flow of dislodged particles from the brake housing for collection in and ultimate disposal from the collector.

The hood 5 is shown with a generally cylindrical wall 15, open at one end and provided at the other with an end wall 16. At the open end of the hood there is provided a resilient gasket 17 for sealing engagement, when the hood is applied to the brake housing, with a centering ring or like member 18 engaged with the open end of the brake housing 6. Irrespective of the form of ring 18, the same serves to align the hood 5 with the brake housing.

3,222,77 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 A preferably conical radial extension 19 in said wall 15 terminates in a constricted end 20, the same being directed to enter into the collector 10.

The air gun 7 is generally conventional in that the same is provided with a body in the form of a grip 21, is adapted to be connected to a source of pressure air by a flexible hose 22, has an air discharge nozzle 23, and is operated by a trigger 24 to open the nozzle to air supplied to the gun by the hose 22.

In this case, said gun 7 is afi'ixed by the nozzle 23 to the center of the end Wall 16 of the hood, and by a bracket 25 that extends between a marginal portion of said end wall 16 and a fitting 26 to which the hose 22 is connected.

The gun nozzle 23 is extended through the wall 16 and terminates in the interior of the hood in a ported axle 27 through which air from the gun is discharged when the trigger 24 is pressed.

The means 8 is shown as a housing 28 that is mounted for free rotation on the axle 27 and receptive of air from the ports in said axle, a tube 29 extending radially from the housing 28 and bent to extend forwardly, as at 30, from the tube 29. Said extension terminates about midway of the depth of the hood 5, the end 31 being at a shallow angle, as can best be seen in FIG. 2. A hollow twirler tube 32 is mounted on the angled end 31, by means of the nut 33, it being understood the air from tube portion 30 enters the tube 32 through a ported end similar to the ported end 27 in the gun nozzle. A jet tip 34 at one end of the tube 32 is so disposed as to direct an air stream toward the open end of the hood and into the interior of the brake housing.

It will be clear that the air reaction at the bend between tube portion 30 and tube end 31, will induce rotation of the tube 29 in the direction of the arrow 35, the entire means 8, therefore, revolving around the axle 27 at a speed according to the pressure of the air flowing in said means. The jet of air from the tip 34 creates a reaction force that causes the tube 32 to spin on the axis of the tube end 31 as shown by the arrow 36. The stream of air 37 from said nozzle, therefore, describes an epicyclic path that insures the jet of air reaching all interior surfaces of the brake housing. The above-described parts are counter weighted by a rod 37a extending oppositely to the tube 29.

The means 9 is shown as a branch air line 38 that conducts part of the air released by the trigger 24 to a tube 39 disposed. against the inner face of the wall 16 to be out of the path of movement of the means 8. Said tube has an end 40 that extends into the conical extension 19, the same being shown as terminating short of the end 20 of said extension. It will be clear that the movement of air according to the arrows 41 induces an air flow from the brake housing as suggested by the arrow 42. This Venturi action evacuates the housing 6 of dislodged particles, which are discharged from the end 20 above described.

The collector 10 is shown as a removable porous bag 43 disposed so as to intercept particles in the flow from the end 20 and to pass the cleansed air therethrough in the manner of a vacuum sweeper or cleaner. A removable housing 44 encloses said bag, the same having airpassing holes 45. A mesh liner 46 is provided within the housing 44, the arrows 47 indicating the flow of cleansed air through said liner and holes 45.

modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A brake-housing cleaner comprising:

(a) a hood having an open side adapted to be placed against the open side of a brake housing,

(b) an air gun connected to the hood and serving as a hand grip therefor, said gun having a ported discharge nozzle extending into the interior of the hood,

(c) means mounted on said nozzle for free rotational movement thereon to produce an epicycloidal jet of air received from the discharge nozzle of the air gun, said means being disposed to direct said air jet into the brake housing to dislodge particles therein,

(d) said hood being provided with a lateral tubular extension with a constricted opening,

(e) means to conduct an auxiliary air stream from said air gun, said means terminating in a discharge tube to produce Venturi fiow in said constricted opening creating suction in the interior of the hood to move dislodged particles outward of said discharge tube, and

(f) a collector to receive said particles and pass the air bearing the same to atmosphere.

2. A brake-housing cleaner comprising:

(a) a hood having an open side adapted to be placed against the open side of a brake housing,

(b) an air gun connected to the hood and serving as a hand grip therefor, said gun having a ported dis- 4 charge nozzle extending into the interior of the hood,

(c) a freely rotational tube on said nozzle receiving air from said nozzle, said tube having a bend therein to create reaction to the force of the air flowing therein to produce rotation of the tube, the end of the tube being provided with a spinner jet discharging and epicycloidal jet of air into the brake housing for dislodging particles therein,

(-d) said hood being provided with a lateral tubular extension with a constricted opening,

(e) means to conduct an auxiliary air stream from said air gun, said means terminating in a discharge tube to produce Venturi flow in said constricted opening creating suction in the interior of the hood to move dislodged particles outward of said discharge tube, and

(f) a collector to receive said particles and pass the air bearing the same to atmosphere.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,519 7/1920 Vaudreuil 134-179 X 2,055,577 9/1936 Huff l5409 X 2,846,710 8/1958 Haka 15409 X FOREIGN PATENTS 108,256 8/1939 Australia.

10,796 5/1911 Great Britain.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRAKE-HOUSING CLEANER COMPRISING: (A) A HOOK HAVING AN OPEN SIDE ADAPTED TO BE PLACED AGAINST THE OPEN SIDE OF A BRAKE HOUSING, (B) AN AIR GUN CONNECTED TO THE HOOD AND SERVING AS A HAND GRIP THEREFOR, SAID GUN HAVING A PORTED DISCHARGE NOZZLE EXTENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOOD, (C) MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID NOZZLE FOR FREE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREON TO PRODUCE AN EPICYCLOIDAL JET OF AIR RECEIVED FROM THE DISCHARGE NOZZLE OF THE AIR GUN, SAID MEANS BEING DISPOSED TO DIRECT SAID AIR JET INTO THE BRAKE HOUSING TO DISLODGE PARTICLES THEREIN, (D) SAID HOOD BEING PROVIDED WITH A LATERAL TUBULAR EXTENSION WITH A CONSTRICTED OPENING, 